Carroll County Circuit Judge Scott Jackson said Wednesday that if Belynda Goff were to be tried today, she would be acquitted due to a lack of witness testimony and DNA evidence tying her to the 1994 bludgeoning death of Stephen Goff.
The judge has ruled that Goff, who was convicted of killing her husband, must be released after serving nearly 23 years in prison.
Goff was first convicted in 1996 and sentenced to life in prison. She refused a plea deal and maintained her innocence. After an appeal in 1998, she was resentenced to life in prison.
Jackson resentenced the 57-year-old Goff this week to time served, plus 10 years suspended. Paperwork permitting her release should be complete this week.
